Archives

Death Of Daniel O’Donnell’s Mother Announced

It is with great sadness we report the death of Mrs Julia O’Donnell, mother of Daniel O’Donnell and mother-in-law of Thurles native Majella O’Donnell, latter both country singers and reality television stars.

Mr Julia O’Donnell passed away at 3.50am this morning at the ripe old age of 94. Country singers Daniel and his wife Majella announced the news on Daniel’s official website this morning.

Mrs O’Donnell died at Dungloe Community Hospital in Co Donegal, surrounded by her family. The Co Donegal native Daniel, aged 52, had rushed home from Scotland, where he had been performing on Monday night last, to be at his mother’s bedside.

Here in Thurles on Friday last, Daniel briefly sung at a Mass in the Cathedral of The Assumption, for his wife Majella’s father Mr Thomas Roache, latter who also regrettably passed from our midst, before rushing back to Donegal by helicopter to be at his mother’s side.

Mrs Julia O’Donnell had been predeceased by her husband Francie more than 40 years ago and had raised her five children, John, Margaret, Kathleen, James and Daniel single-handed. In more recent times, she had moved residence to live with her daughter Kathleen in Kincasslagh and had, as was her very gentle nature, spent a lot of her time knitting, producing gloves for both Queen Elizabeth II and woollen socks for His Holiness the Pope.

From the people of Thurles to Daniel and Majella, and their grieving families, go our sincere sympathies on both these very sad occasions.